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New builder with crazy idea

kiljoy

kiljoy

Well Known Member
Hello fellow VAFers,

The stars are aligned, the tooling is ready, my workspace is secured, the spouse is on board and my empennage has been ordered (RV-14)!!
It feels weird because I'm reaching out and grabbing a dream and making it mine. I've never been bale to do this before.

Anyways I have a crazy idea that I wanted to run by my fellow builders here:
I've searched for this and either I can't search a forum for **** or no one has thought of this (publicly):
Since the wings are supposedly the same, could you put the wings of an RV-10 on an RV-14?

Considerations for discussion (assuming they fit no problem and the flight characteristic changes don't go to lift off then crash immediately):
- structural integrity
- yawing tendencies
- Lower cruise speed
- Lower stall speed
- More fuel
- higher gross weight
- lower wing loading (turbulence)
- No aerobatics??

Thoughts?

- Kilroy
 
It's been discussed before.

Short version: you're looking at a big engineering evaluation. It's going to affect pitch stability and structural strength through the fuselage, among other things... assuming it even fit.

If you want extra fuel there are ways of doing that. Bolting on a set of -10 wings isn't really one of them. Extra span would be nice for traveling, but I'd think a set of bolt-on tips (with proper engineering, of course) would be an easier way to go. I've considered doing something like that myself, if I ever had the time to sit down and do the analysis... but as it is I'm hard-pressed to get a couple hours just to go work on the fuselage, what with a toddler running around.
 
BTW - the RV-14 IO-390 engine has a hard enough time pulling the plane. Adding a bunch more weight and drag would call for an IO-540 or such. At that point, just build an RV-10 and enjoy Van's best all around airplane.

Carl
 
Anything is possible and I do not doubt that you could get the 10 wings to fit. My suggestion would be to go stock. Fly the airplane for a while and see if it fits your needs as is. Then if you really want the other wings, and if they would fit, sell your 14 wings and mount quick build ten wings. Or better yet, do not sell the 14 wings until you try the plane with the 10 wings. My guess is that you would end up wanting the wings that came with the plane.
 
rmartingt said:
It's been discussed before.

Short version: you're looking at a big engineering evaluation. It's going to affect pitch stability and structural strength through the fuselage, among other things... assuming it even fit....
Click to expand...

Also directional stability and spin recovery. And in each case, it's an undesirable effect.

Dave
 
Consider resale as well. How many potential buyers will turn their noses up at an RV-14 with RV-10 wings?
 
When the RV-14 was first introduced it was mentioned that it was the same wing as the RV-10 but it wasn't meant in the literal sense and it was never considered that people would take it that way.

The same wing statement was meant to mean same airfoil design, cord, thickness, etc.
That is all the same, which allowed for using all of the same wing, flap, and aileron ribs (which helps keep the cost down).
Everything else (wing spars, etc.) are different (even though the general design is similar).
As already mentioned... even if you could install the 10 wings on a 14 it would possibly induce a bunch of other problems that would have to be considered... not to mention that it would probably be slower.
 
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